The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing online games, including games, generally played on a computer and other mobile devices, that include social network functions. Disclosed embodiments may find particular applicability with games that allow user to acquire rights to digital tokens that have different functionality across a spectrum of computer-implemented games, and with computer-implemented games that combine variable-use digital tokens with other standard gaming tools and constructs, such as real-time strategy games, card games, etc.
In most games that use tokens, such as trading cards, the tokens are limited to a set of functions defined by a single game. An exception to this would be U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,458, which describes a system including “persistent playing object” that may use generic attributes of an object to map to game-specific attributes.
Multiplayer games have been developed that allow users to connect directly, or via computer game servers, and participate in games with several, or even thousands of, other players. Additionally, computer-based social networks have been developed to allow people from all over the world to establish and maintain connections with other users having shared interests, history, and other factors.
It would be desirable to have new game systems and methods that build on the connectivity and features provided by online social networks, and that also include expanded functionality and user participation through the use of digital tokens. Such games may include functions related to, for example, registered “friends” of a user in an online social network, and digital tokens having cross-platform applicability and digital rights management.